Jeremiah 31:21-22 ultimately points toward divine renewal and the merciful heart of God that continues to seek His people even when they wander.
Jeremiah, who prophesied primarily from around 627 BC until after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, addresses the exiled people of Israel in a poignant call to remember their path and to return. He exhorts them saying, "Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities" (v. 21), signaling that God’s covenant people ought to mark the path of their journey and keep their hearts fixed on the route home. Though they have been scattered, they retain their identity as God’s chosen, and their homeland beckons them back into covenant faithfulness.
The prophet’s use of the phrase O virgin of Israel (v. 21) highlights God’s perspective of restoration, treating Israel not as one permanently stained by her past but as a nation that God seeks to cleanse and renew. This speaks to God’s mercy, pointing ahead to the promise that He is willing to receive His people and forgive them (Micah 7:18-19). Though the nation’s exile was painful and occurred in large part due to their failure to keep the covenant, Jeremiah’s wording underscores that the LORD sees beyond their present shame.
The most striking element here is the active command to Set up … roadmarks. Ancient travelers often placed markers to identify paths and safe routes, particularly through wilderness areas. In the historical setting of the Babylonian captivity, the cities of Judah and Israel had been ravaged by war, and many inhabitants had been forcibly taken to Babylon, located in modern—day Iraq. Through Jeremiah’s words, God invites the exiles to make a purposeful decision to return to the blessings and responsibilities established for them in their own land.
Continuing the theme of calling His people back, the LORD asks, "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth—A woman will encompass a man" (v. 22). This statement depicts the divine initiative to do something unheard of: a remarkable reversal of expectations that will happen in Israel’s life. While the imagery of a woman encircling a man may seem cryptic, one view is that it symbolizes Israel’s protective or affectionate return to the LORD, with an emphasis on transformation from estrangement to intimate closeness under God’s care.
The term faithless daughter reminds the audience of Israel’s repeated turn away from God, yet it is also a gentle, familial term, suggesting that the LORD still regards them as children who can come home. Historically, Israel’s faithlessness often led to encounters with foreign powers such as Assyria and eventually Babylon, where the people were taken captive (in 597 BC and 586 BC). But even amid that devastation, God’s redemptive purpose stands. He is, in Jeremiah’s words, creating a new thing, implying He is restoring what had been broken and paving the way for a future in which His people walk faithfully before Him.
Throughout challenging seasons in biblical history—whether under Assyrian threat in the late 8th century BC or Babylonian exile in the early 6th century BC—the LORD repeatedly showed that He remains steadfast. By declaring His plan to do something new, He invites Israel to trust that He will bring fresh hope out of desolation. In the broader scriptural story, this theme of God making things new finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who ushers in a new covenant, offering redemption and reconciliation for the estranged (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jeremiah 31:21-22
21 “Set up for yourself roadmarks,
Place for yourself guideposts;
Direct your mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 “How long will you go here and there,
O faithless daughter?
For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth—
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Jeremiah 31:21-22 meaning
Jeremiah, who prophesied primarily from around 627 BC until after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, addresses the exiled people of Israel in a poignant call to remember their path and to return. He exhorts them saying, "Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities" (v. 21), signaling that God’s covenant people ought to mark the path of their journey and keep their hearts fixed on the route home. Though they have been scattered, they retain their identity as God’s chosen, and their homeland beckons them back into covenant faithfulness.
The prophet’s use of the phrase O virgin of Israel (v. 21) highlights God’s perspective of restoration, treating Israel not as one permanently stained by her past but as a nation that God seeks to cleanse and renew. This speaks to God’s mercy, pointing ahead to the promise that He is willing to receive His people and forgive them (Micah 7:18-19). Though the nation’s exile was painful and occurred in large part due to their failure to keep the covenant, Jeremiah’s wording underscores that the LORD sees beyond their present shame.
The most striking element here is the active command to Set up … roadmarks. Ancient travelers often placed markers to identify paths and safe routes, particularly through wilderness areas. In the historical setting of the Babylonian captivity, the cities of Judah and Israel had been ravaged by war, and many inhabitants had been forcibly taken to Babylon, located in modern—day Iraq. Through Jeremiah’s words, God invites the exiles to make a purposeful decision to return to the blessings and responsibilities established for them in their own land.
Continuing the theme of calling His people back, the LORD asks, "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth—A woman will encompass a man" (v. 22). This statement depicts the divine initiative to do something unheard of: a remarkable reversal of expectations that will happen in Israel’s life. While the imagery of a woman encircling a man may seem cryptic, one view is that it symbolizes Israel’s protective or affectionate return to the LORD, with an emphasis on transformation from estrangement to intimate closeness under God’s care.
The term faithless daughter reminds the audience of Israel’s repeated turn away from God, yet it is also a gentle, familial term, suggesting that the LORD still regards them as children who can come home. Historically, Israel’s faithlessness often led to encounters with foreign powers such as Assyria and eventually Babylon, where the people were taken captive (in 597 BC and 586 BC). But even amid that devastation, God’s redemptive purpose stands. He is, in Jeremiah’s words, creating a new thing, implying He is restoring what had been broken and paving the way for a future in which His people walk faithfully before Him.
Throughout challenging seasons in biblical history—whether under Assyrian threat in the late 8th century BC or Babylonian exile in the early 6th century BC—the LORD repeatedly showed that He remains steadfast. By declaring His plan to do something new, He invites Israel to trust that He will bring fresh hope out of desolation. In the broader scriptural story, this theme of God making things new finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who ushers in a new covenant, offering redemption and reconciliation for the estranged (2 Corinthians 5:17).